AirVillain Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Hello there everyone...Because this is my first time posting here at Atari Age, I'd like to say hello to everyone out there in Atari Land. I'm looking for some help on this one. I found this at a local thrift shop and knew I wanted it. When I found this I was super stoked because of the box and included games. Although, I'm not sure how to get it to work. I bought a RCA Jack to F Plug adapter but nothing.... I'm not sure what region this system is from or what the heck is going on. If someone could help out with understand how to hook it up to a regular North American TV that would be great. I tried to include pictures of the connections as best I could.Also, I know the box is in crappy condition, but does anyone know the approx value of what I've got here? Games included... Winter Games is in the yellow box....Any help would be greatly appreciated from one gamer to another. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Please let us know what you've tried. In general, you screw that adapter into the antenna input of your TV, plug the Atari cable into that, turn your TV to channel 3, plug in the Atari power adapter, and turn it on with a game inserted. If you get nothing, try channels 2, 3, and 4 on the TV. Once you try this, let us know what happens. And welcome! This is a good place to ask questions and such, full of really nice people. Edited October 21, 2013 by RickR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirVillain Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 Thanks for the quick reply RickR...I can't actually plug the cable from the atari into the adapter shown... it doesn't fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Doesn't fit? In what way? From the picture, it looks like a good match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirVillain Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 Well... it just doesn't fit. It kind of seems like the gold adapter is too small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Gotcha. It too loose, eh? Man, I wish I could reach through the internet to give it a try. Here is what I can tell from the pictures: First, you have the right kind of RF adapter. Second, that cable coming out of the Atari doesn't look stock. Normally, they look different....the middle pin is longer, and the outside metal ring has gaps in it.I don't know if you feel comfortable doing the following, but if it was me, I'd give this a try: Take the screws out of the bottom of the 2600 and remove the top. That cable that comes out the back...remove it from the connector on the inside. Replace it with a standard RCA video or audio cable. Then connect THAT into that RF adapter and see if it works. The other thing you could try (again, only if you're comfortable doing so) is putting that loose connector on the gold RF adapter and take a pair of pliers and gently squeeze the metal part until it is at least touching. Then see if it works. Hopefully this helps. I know it can be frustrating to get a new toy and not be sure it works or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Cade Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) That is a PAL connector- you have a PAL 2600. It will not work on a North American TV. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_aerial_plug Edited October 21, 2013 by R.Cade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 That is a PAL connector- you have a PAL 2600. It will not work on a North American TV. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_aerial_plug Boom! Expert help right there. Good to know, I've never seen a PAL connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhd Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Are those Atari 8-bit computer joysticks (extreme right side of the first picture)? I have never seen black handles and a white base before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulBlazer Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 That is a PAL connector- you have a PAL 2600. It will not work on a North American TV. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_aerial_plug I can see PAL games ending up in North America, but a PAL system? How did THAT get over here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirVillain Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 That is a PAL connector- you have a PAL 2600. It will not work on a North American TV. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_aerial_plug Thanks for the information R. Cade... What are my options for testing it out/playing it then? I mean... Get a PAL TV , or can I get an adapter for this one...? If anything... Boom! Expert help right there. Good to know, I've never seen a PAL connector. Yeah, this place is great... everyone is helpful. I think because there's french, spanish, and chinese (I think?) on it I figured it could be PAL or I would have tried what you said. Are those Atari 8-bit computer joysticks (extreme right side of the first picture)? I have never seen black handles and a white base before I don't think so... I think they're just some random 3rd party controller. All it says on the top is "JOYSTICK" to the right of the red button. I can see PAL games ending up in North America, but a PAL system? How did THAT get over here? How do you tell the diffference between a PAL game? Forgive the noob question, I really only know a bit about NES where PAL and NTSC game covers look different... The missle Command, Space Invaders, And Winter Games all look pretty regular to me. Only english. The winter games, however, does explicitly state it was made in Australia on the case. Duh... But, other than that, what should I look for? Also... does it happen quite often or are you being serious? Haha... sorry... Again, I don't know anything about Atari. Just learning. I'd love to be able to play this thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) Put the game in an NTSC Atari connected to an NTSC set if you have a spare system. If the picture rolls, has weird colors, or the bottom of the playfield is cut off, you have a PAL game. Apparently, there is no way to tell region simply by looking at the box or cartridge. Unfortunately, your chances of getting a PAL RF signal to display properly on an NTSC set are near zero. Edited October 23, 2013 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Cade Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 I think the only way you could use this is to do a composite mod (for a PAL Atari) and then either hook it to a video converter that supports PAL, or a monitor that supports PAL signals directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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